Thursday, February 26
Wednesday, February 25
My personal Van Halen Renaissance
So for my inaugural post to this blog (or any other) here is a Van Halen appreciation essay I wrote to settle a bet with a pal last summer. I wrote this on the heels of reading both David Lee Roth’s autobiography "Crazy From The Heat" and “Everybody Wants Some”, the definitive book on the band, and I was also listening to their stuff non-stop.
I tried to offer some cool facts and bits of trivia about the band, while also attempting to convey in writing some of the joy I personally feel from listening to the music. Knowing a little more about VH’s history and context has greatly enhanced my appreciation of the band (as has repeated listening). I hope it will do some of the same for anyone who reads this.
Before Van Halen came along, nobody knew how much fun hard rock could be. In the late seventies heavy metal and punk acts dominated the touring circuit, along with successful disco acts. The music of the day was either angry and somber (Black Sabbath), anarchistic (Sex Pistols, The Clash), or sugary sweet (Bee Gees, Doobie Brothers). Van Halen was an upstart cover band from L.A. that sounded something like Black Sabbath meets the Beach Boys. Their sound was certainly heavy, with thundering drums and bass and loud guitars, but their songs also had 3-part vocal harmonies and airy melodies. They sang about getting laid and life in the fast lane. Leading the show was a strutting peacock of a lead singer in David lee Roth and a shy, freakishly talented guitar player named Eddie Van Halen. Together the two of them would produce a uniquely American brand of rock and roll, which would propel Van Halen to the top of the music world, and spawn a whole new genre of glam metal in the late 80’s. Ultimately the competing egos and opposing creative forces of Eddie and Dave would pull the band apart. While the band continued to enjoy commercial success with Sammy Hagar (the anti-Roth) as a lead singer, fans and critics alike would come to look back on the first six albums with Roth as the band’s golden era.
Van Halen got their start in 1972 in Pasadena, California when David Roth joined forces with the Van Halen brothers. L.A. at that time had a vibrant backyard band scene, with local bands putting on concerts in backyards for $3 per head, with plenty of beer and weed to go around. With the addition of Roth the band quickly gained prominence, due in no small part to the fact that they played a lot of popular covers that people could dance to. In those early days the band purchased a Kinks album and (At Roth’s insistence) learned every note of every song. They were eventually discovered at a club on the Sunset Strip and hit the studio for their first album, self-titled and released in 1978. It would go on to sell over 10 million copies and is generally regarded as the most stellar hard rock debut album of all-time, next to Appetite For Destruction, released 10 years later in 1988.
By now most people have heard Eruption so many times they are somewhat numb to it. Go back and listen again. Try to imagine what Eddie Van Halen’s fingers must be doing to create those sounds. From about the time Ed was 15 years old, he would spend every Friday and Saturday night in his room with a guitar and a 6-pack of Schlitz (his older brother Alex was the extrovert and played the drums). His early idol was Clapton, and he learned every Cream and Clapton song including the solos by heart, playing along with his records. As he developed his skills, in order to experiment with the sound of his guitars he taught himself the basics of electrical engineering and rewired the inside of his amps to get the reverb and feedback to his liking. He also modified the guitars in various ways to create a signature sound. In fact, the guitar he used in the studio for Van Halen’s first two albums, a heavily modified Stratocaster that earned the nickname “Frankenstrat.” The influence he had on later metal bands such as Motley Crue and Guns & Roses (both also from L.A.) is apparent when you listen to any Van Halen solo.
Some other fun facts about the first album – “Jamie’s Cryin”, a song about a young girl’s remorse over a one-night stand was later sampled for Tone Loc’s “Wild Thing.” On You Tube there is a video which isolates Roth’s vocal track from “Runnin’ With the Devil.” It’s an absolute must-hear. My youth had no shortage of anthems, but had I discovered this song earlier it certainly would have been among them. Staying true to their club roots, the album contains two covers: You Really Got Me, which gives you a flavor for the type of energy the band is capable of, and Ice Cream Man, an extraordinary Roth twist on a 40’s jazz standard, and a preview of what was to come later with Just a Gigolo.
Another unique aspect of Van Halen’s early albums is there was very little production involved in the recording. VH had been honing their skills playing backyard parties and later clubs and bars for 5 years before they ever got into the studio. For the first two albums especially, they usually recorded songs in one or two takes, with just a bass, drums, and lead guitar. Ed rarely even laid down a rhythm track, although for many of the songs you’d swear you’re hearing two guitars. They just went into the studio, plugged into the amps and went at it. It gives the music a certain rawness and authenticity.
The band continued to gain popularity, putting out Van Halen II and Women and Children First in 1979 and 1980. They toured non-stop and became one of the hottest concert tickets around, receiving an appearance fee of an unprecedented $1.5 million dollars to play a 90-minute set at a summer festival in California in 1983 (earning them a spot in the Guiness book for highest paid rock & roll act). Roth was a ringleader, emcee, and party ambassador all at once. He wasn’t the first rock and roll frontman to sport long hair and spandex, but he was arguably the best to do so. What he lacked in traditional vocal power he made up for with bravado and relentless, unapologetic promotion of himself and the band. As one record-industry exec put it, “the Van Halen brothers make the music and the Jew sells it.” His combination of decadence and quick wit made him a great interview, often to the chagrin of bandmates Eddie and Alex Van Halen, who felt he was too over-the-top.
Eddie Van Halen’s legend continued to grow. He became widely acknowledged as the the greatest guitar-player of his time, even lending his skills to Michael Jackson’s Beat It, at the request of producer Quincy Jones. The resulting fusion of R&B and heavy metal was regarded as groundbreaking at the time and would become an iconic song of the 80’s. Ed was a contributing musician on numerous projects, including musical scores for movies, as well as other albums.
The band continued to tour and record prolifically, churning out 6 albums in 7 years, culminating with the band’s greatest commercial success, “1984”, released in the same year. This is the album that first introduced me to the band, and while I didn’t know it at the time, it was a marked departure from the band’s earlier sound. The biggest hit from the album (and the band’s career), “Jump”, featured synthesizers, which David Lee Roth adamantly opposed as a move away from the band’s heavy metal roots. However, Eddie Van Halen was intent on evolving in that direction, as would later be evident with all the shitty songs Van Halen made in the latter half of the decade with Sammy Hagar (“Right Now” being the notable exception).
Van Halen was something magical. They sang about partying and having fun, and they embodied the decadent rock and roll spirit in all they did. The songs just continue to get better with repeated listening. As Roth put it, “Whether you've owned it or not, you've heard Sammy or my voice blaring out of a pickup truck in front of you at the drive-thru at the local Burger King for how many summers”. They are one of the best-selling acts of all time, and one of the only acts ever to have two studio (non-greatest hits) albums achieve diamond status (ten million copies sold). They were kings of rock and roll for their time and inspired the next wave, including some groups of no small significance to me in my adolescent years. Have a listen (or re-listen) and I hope they can give you some of the same joy they’ve given me.
I tried to offer some cool facts and bits of trivia about the band, while also attempting to convey in writing some of the joy I personally feel from listening to the music. Knowing a little more about VH’s history and context has greatly enhanced my appreciation of the band (as has repeated listening). I hope it will do some of the same for anyone who reads this.
Before Van Halen came along, nobody knew how much fun hard rock could be. In the late seventies heavy metal and punk acts dominated the touring circuit, along with successful disco acts. The music of the day was either angry and somber (Black Sabbath), anarchistic (Sex Pistols, The Clash), or sugary sweet (Bee Gees, Doobie Brothers). Van Halen was an upstart cover band from L.A. that sounded something like Black Sabbath meets the Beach Boys. Their sound was certainly heavy, with thundering drums and bass and loud guitars, but their songs also had 3-part vocal harmonies and airy melodies. They sang about getting laid and life in the fast lane. Leading the show was a strutting peacock of a lead singer in David lee Roth and a shy, freakishly talented guitar player named Eddie Van Halen. Together the two of them would produce a uniquely American brand of rock and roll, which would propel Van Halen to the top of the music world, and spawn a whole new genre of glam metal in the late 80’s. Ultimately the competing egos and opposing creative forces of Eddie and Dave would pull the band apart. While the band continued to enjoy commercial success with Sammy Hagar (the anti-Roth) as a lead singer, fans and critics alike would come to look back on the first six albums with Roth as the band’s golden era.
Van Halen got their start in 1972 in Pasadena, California when David Roth joined forces with the Van Halen brothers. L.A. at that time had a vibrant backyard band scene, with local bands putting on concerts in backyards for $3 per head, with plenty of beer and weed to go around. With the addition of Roth the band quickly gained prominence, due in no small part to the fact that they played a lot of popular covers that people could dance to. In those early days the band purchased a Kinks album and (At Roth’s insistence) learned every note of every song. They were eventually discovered at a club on the Sunset Strip and hit the studio for their first album, self-titled and released in 1978. It would go on to sell over 10 million copies and is generally regarded as the most stellar hard rock debut album of all-time, next to Appetite For Destruction, released 10 years later in 1988.
By now most people have heard Eruption so many times they are somewhat numb to it. Go back and listen again. Try to imagine what Eddie Van Halen’s fingers must be doing to create those sounds. From about the time Ed was 15 years old, he would spend every Friday and Saturday night in his room with a guitar and a 6-pack of Schlitz (his older brother Alex was the extrovert and played the drums). His early idol was Clapton, and he learned every Cream and Clapton song including the solos by heart, playing along with his records. As he developed his skills, in order to experiment with the sound of his guitars he taught himself the basics of electrical engineering and rewired the inside of his amps to get the reverb and feedback to his liking. He also modified the guitars in various ways to create a signature sound. In fact, the guitar he used in the studio for Van Halen’s first two albums, a heavily modified Stratocaster that earned the nickname “Frankenstrat.” The influence he had on later metal bands such as Motley Crue and Guns & Roses (both also from L.A.) is apparent when you listen to any Van Halen solo.
Some other fun facts about the first album – “Jamie’s Cryin”, a song about a young girl’s remorse over a one-night stand was later sampled for Tone Loc’s “Wild Thing.” On You Tube there is a video which isolates Roth’s vocal track from “Runnin’ With the Devil.” It’s an absolute must-hear. My youth had no shortage of anthems, but had I discovered this song earlier it certainly would have been among them. Staying true to their club roots, the album contains two covers: You Really Got Me, which gives you a flavor for the type of energy the band is capable of, and Ice Cream Man, an extraordinary Roth twist on a 40’s jazz standard, and a preview of what was to come later with Just a Gigolo.
Another unique aspect of Van Halen’s early albums is there was very little production involved in the recording. VH had been honing their skills playing backyard parties and later clubs and bars for 5 years before they ever got into the studio. For the first two albums especially, they usually recorded songs in one or two takes, with just a bass, drums, and lead guitar. Ed rarely even laid down a rhythm track, although for many of the songs you’d swear you’re hearing two guitars. They just went into the studio, plugged into the amps and went at it. It gives the music a certain rawness and authenticity.
The band continued to gain popularity, putting out Van Halen II and Women and Children First in 1979 and 1980. They toured non-stop and became one of the hottest concert tickets around, receiving an appearance fee of an unprecedented $1.5 million dollars to play a 90-minute set at a summer festival in California in 1983 (earning them a spot in the Guiness book for highest paid rock & roll act). Roth was a ringleader, emcee, and party ambassador all at once. He wasn’t the first rock and roll frontman to sport long hair and spandex, but he was arguably the best to do so. What he lacked in traditional vocal power he made up for with bravado and relentless, unapologetic promotion of himself and the band. As one record-industry exec put it, “the Van Halen brothers make the music and the Jew sells it.” His combination of decadence and quick wit made him a great interview, often to the chagrin of bandmates Eddie and Alex Van Halen, who felt he was too over-the-top.
Eddie Van Halen’s legend continued to grow. He became widely acknowledged as the the greatest guitar-player of his time, even lending his skills to Michael Jackson’s Beat It, at the request of producer Quincy Jones. The resulting fusion of R&B and heavy metal was regarded as groundbreaking at the time and would become an iconic song of the 80’s. Ed was a contributing musician on numerous projects, including musical scores for movies, as well as other albums.
The band continued to tour and record prolifically, churning out 6 albums in 7 years, culminating with the band’s greatest commercial success, “1984”, released in the same year. This is the album that first introduced me to the band, and while I didn’t know it at the time, it was a marked departure from the band’s earlier sound. The biggest hit from the album (and the band’s career), “Jump”, featured synthesizers, which David Lee Roth adamantly opposed as a move away from the band’s heavy metal roots. However, Eddie Van Halen was intent on evolving in that direction, as would later be evident with all the shitty songs Van Halen made in the latter half of the decade with Sammy Hagar (“Right Now” being the notable exception).
Van Halen was something magical. They sang about partying and having fun, and they embodied the decadent rock and roll spirit in all they did. The songs just continue to get better with repeated listening. As Roth put it, “Whether you've owned it or not, you've heard Sammy or my voice blaring out of a pickup truck in front of you at the drive-thru at the local Burger King for how many summers”. They are one of the best-selling acts of all time, and one of the only acts ever to have two studio (non-greatest hits) albums achieve diamond status (ten million copies sold). They were kings of rock and roll for their time and inspired the next wave, including some groups of no small significance to me in my adolescent years. Have a listen (or re-listen) and I hope they can give you some of the same joy they’ve given me.
Catching up
Woe is us.
It seems like everyone I talk to has a story about how the economy is effecting their lives. Even my friends in Bentonville were not spared from the financial meltdown as the Wal-Mart Home Office laid a bunch of them off a week or so ago. Here on the homestead we are strapping down tightly and making sure every penny counts. That means we are cooking at home more, not planning any vacations, canceling unused memberships to the gym and even considering eliminating cable. The side affect of this is that my wife and i are developing a closer bond and have more love for each other than ever before.
I am definitely grateful that we have a thoughtful and even keeled person in the white house. He's no saint, and isn't foreign to mistakes, but the way he is handling his missteps shows he is a man of great character. I know no single person can turn the world's problems on their heads. It takes all of us to steer the boat in the right direction.
The stimulus package passed just days ago, and already Republican leaders are living up to their typical politician stereotypes by refusing to accept funds in their states. Politicians will be politicians, I can accept that. The backlash from even the far right constituency to such narrow minded partisan antics will be severe if these elected officials continue to act like selfish politicrats. The evidence was there in interviews with citizens of the southern states on NPR tonight. Go ahead Republicans, let's see if denying your citizens the help they need gets you reelected.
Republican leaders need to wake up to the fact that they lost power of the government by playing the partisan politics card. The old school will be asked to leave if it doesn't learn the new lessons.
America is growing up. It has fallen and bruised it's hind end a bit in the recent past. But it will over come those missteps as long as the people continue to listen to reason and don't take the bullheaded stance that change is bad. Change is good. It's a necessity. Embrace it and learn from it.
It seems like everyone I talk to has a story about how the economy is effecting their lives. Even my friends in Bentonville were not spared from the financial meltdown as the Wal-Mart Home Office laid a bunch of them off a week or so ago. Here on the homestead we are strapping down tightly and making sure every penny counts. That means we are cooking at home more, not planning any vacations, canceling unused memberships to the gym and even considering eliminating cable. The side affect of this is that my wife and i are developing a closer bond and have more love for each other than ever before.
I am definitely grateful that we have a thoughtful and even keeled person in the white house. He's no saint, and isn't foreign to mistakes, but the way he is handling his missteps shows he is a man of great character. I know no single person can turn the world's problems on their heads. It takes all of us to steer the boat in the right direction.
The stimulus package passed just days ago, and already Republican leaders are living up to their typical politician stereotypes by refusing to accept funds in their states. Politicians will be politicians, I can accept that. The backlash from even the far right constituency to such narrow minded partisan antics will be severe if these elected officials continue to act like selfish politicrats. The evidence was there in interviews with citizens of the southern states on NPR tonight. Go ahead Republicans, let's see if denying your citizens the help they need gets you reelected.
Republican leaders need to wake up to the fact that they lost power of the government by playing the partisan politics card. The old school will be asked to leave if it doesn't learn the new lessons.
America is growing up. It has fallen and bruised it's hind end a bit in the recent past. But it will over come those missteps as long as the people continue to listen to reason and don't take the bullheaded stance that change is bad. Change is good. It's a necessity. Embrace it and learn from it.
Wednesday, February 18
David Carson Video
He might be little bit old school at this stage, and this video is from back in 2003, but still some good stuff.
Saturday, February 14
Thursday, February 5
Tuesday, February 3
Slacker!
Hi there. I've been busy. That's really all there is to it. I've been busy. Busy and stressed.
A lot has happened since I last posted, both in my life, and in the life of America. Over the next several days I'll attempt to fill you in.
A lot has happened since I last posted, both in my life, and in the life of America. Over the next several days I'll attempt to fill you in.
Sunday, February 1
Guestpost: just another Sign of the Apocalypse
Microsoft has come out with software that will let you create a song by singing into the mic. The program then comes up with "appropriate" music. Here is a disastrous example.
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